If you have many employees working abroad, your company may need special group medical insurance coverage for your overseas employees.
The group health plans available from your local carriers may not offer the best coverage overseas. This is particularly true if they have no offices overseas, or if they restrict treatment to a specific group of providers.
You may want to consider working with a medical insurance carrier that specializes in group medical insurance coverage overseas. Some companies offer policies for employees who travel a great deal, and others offer plans for employees living temporarily or permanently in another country. Of course, some larger international insurance carriers will offer group medical coverage for a variety of situations, depending on your company’s needs.
If your company already has a group plan that covers international travel, your employees living overseas may have adequate coverage without a separate policy. Check to see if the plan will cover prescription drugs purchased outside the United States. Some plans will not allow claims for prescriptions purchased outside the country, but will usually make an exception for emergencies and for employees permanently stationed in another country. Be sure to ask.
Also find out if the plan requires care at specific hospitals that are affiliated with the company. Some larger US group plans, such as the BlueCross BlueShield association member plans, do have a fairly extensive network of participating facilities around the world.
An important feature of any group coverage overseas is the ease of submitting a claim. The carrier should be able to translate a claim from a doctor or facility in any language, and offer quick turn-around times for processing. Smaller carriers may find this difficult, and this could delay reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses. Smaller carriers may also have little experience with the health care system in other countries, and will not be able to help your employees get the care you need.
A qualified, experienced carrier that specializes in overseas group medical insurance is an invaluable resource for an employee who is injured or becomes ill while living abroad.
